The Spectrum

14

It's about nine when Ky drops me home. I wander up the steps to my room in a daze. My body on autopilot while my brain is still in the arms of a man I could gladly live inside his jeans pocket for. It isn't until I enter my room that everything that had made me happy crashed down around me. Dad was sitting on my bed. His expression grim, his body language furious. His white vest carried a beer stain on it again and his eyes glared at me from across the threshold of the door.
"The fuck have you been, girl?"
"Out with a friend, Daddy." I mumble, stepping from one foot to the other to calm myself.
"Yes, and I know exactly the type of friend you've been out with. I saw you getting off his fucking bike, you little whore!"
"Daddy, please-" I try to explain but a palm connecting hard with my face cuts me off. He wraps his large hand around my arm and pulls me into the room and tosses me on the ground. I fall on all fours and pathetically try to crawl away to the wardrobe in the corner. If I could reach it I could barricade myself inside. I reach my hand out for the handle, a sliver of hope spurring me on. Only to be dragged back, away, by my ankles. "No, Daddy!" I turn to try and fend him off as he attempts to sit on my chest. Gripping my hair he thumps the back of my head against the floor and my head spins. I see stars for a moment, before the air is missing from my lungs because of the weight of my father on top of me. He watches me emotionless as I gasp for air like a suffocating fish.
"You'll not see that boy again!" He roars down in my face. Spittle droplets planting themselves on my pale and bruised cheek. He moves off of me and I drag the air back into my body. Coughing and wheezing I struggle to get to my feet. I had to do something. I was not his little girl anymore. I was not a coward, a weakling. I was a human being, who didn't deserve this.
"You can't stop me from seeing him," I wheezed. My hands clutching my chest where his knees had been. "Mama would've wanted me to be happy, Daddy." It only took him three strides to reach me and thrust his fist in my face. I fly backwards onto the bed and cover the eye that was now forming a black and bloody bruise. "Don't you fucking talk about her you murdering whore!"
"I didn't do anything!" I cry as he storms out with a slam of the door. Glancing around I pick up my now broken glasses from the carpet. Shoving them into my desk and taking out the little box of emergency contacts I had to place them into my school bag. Quickly I stuff everything into it, my clothes, books and everything that I needed. Soon enough I was dangling from the bedroom window and shimmying down the drain pipe. Trying not to fall and break my neck in the process. There was only one place I wanted to be.

                                          ********

The rain pours down as I stand before Ky's door and knock. His sister answers on the second try and gasps as she sees me drenched and bruised. "Get in here quick!"
I hurry inside and drop my bag to the floor. "What the fuck happened?" She grabs a bag of peas from the freezer and places it gently against my black eye. "It's a long story." I wince.
"Try me."
I meet her eye for a moment before she takes my hand and gives me a small smile. I can't help but notice they both have the same kind eyes. "My Mama died when I was born and it broke my Dad. He began drinking and as far back as I can remember he's always been the same. He's always beaten me. Drunk or sober."
"Beck, what happened tonight?" She say's calmly.
"Ky dropped me off at home and Dad saw. He was waiting for me when I got to my room. He called me a whore and told me to stop seeing Ky. He tried to suffocate me and then when I refused him he hit me."
"Holy fucker of God, I'm so sorry."
I give her a sad smile, "Can I stay here for a while?"
"For as long as you want. The bastard won't get past my front door!" She stands to pick up my bag. Leading me up to Ky's room. It's empty.
"Where is he?" I ask, sitting on his bed, where a few hours ago I had been so happy. So excited for the future.
"He went to a friends house, but he'll be back." Placing my bag by my feet she adds: "you get some rest. There's plenty of towels in the bathroom, maybe you could take a bath?"
I nod. She leaves and I cry my heart out.